Lessons
by DittyWrites
Summary: Prompt: During a meeting with Snoke, the Supreme Leader uses the force to punish Ren for one of his failures. Hux can only stand there and watch Ren get tortured.


"I am disappointed in the both of you." Sighing to show his displeasure, Snoke split his angry gaze between both Hux and Ren as they faced down their unhappy leader. The previous days failure to invade and take a small desert planet in Sector 4 had resulted in a considerable loss of pride as the First Order were forced to abandon their attempt and retreat until they could re-arm. They had been led to believe that the planet was loosely populated and mostly unarmed, so a moderate detail, headed by Ren himself, had been sent to take the main city.

However, upon arrival it soon transpired that not only was the inhabitants prepared to defend themselves but that a considerable amount of Resistance forces had also taken up residence and were eager to fight. It was an embarrassing loss which was apparently serious enough to have called for the presence of Snoke himself, who had arrived at the base a few hours previously and quickly demanded a meeting with both his general and his apprentice. "You have both failed to complete this simple task which was assigned to you." Snoke continued heavily.

"The information we were provided with was either false or outdated." Ren hissed angrily as he picked up on Snokes' insinuation that they were fully to blame. "We were not prepared for the increased population which was being helped by the Resistance."

Sensing an opportunity, Hux jumped in quickly, "By the time we could have assembled and delivered new forces to support the dispatched troops they would have already been killed or captured by the overwhelming opposition." He stopped before adding. "Strategically speaking, escaping the planet before this came to pass was the most intelligent move which could have been taken."

"Silence Hux." Snoke commanded and Hux snapped his mouth shut instantly. "My apprentice should have known that I would not be pleased with him fleeing the scene like a frightened child. He should have stayed and fought his way to victory."

"If I had not instructed my men to leave we would have been destroyed. I apologise if my actions prolonged my own life and allowed me to continue under your teachings." Ren bit out through gritted teeth, his anger causing him to lose his temper slightly.

"Kylo Ren, be mindful of your tone." Snoke commanded, leaned forward in his throne as he picked up the sarcasm in Rens' voice. "I hold you personally responsible for this disaster given that you were present at the failed attack." Scowling at the announcement, Ren stood silently seething with rage. Hux knew that Snoke was being somewhat unfair but he would be damned before informing his Supreme Leader of that very private opinion.

"It would seem that you are unhappy with my assessment Kylo Ren. Does my apprentice have something to say against me?" Snoke asked suddenly, his voice taking on a silky tone which made the hair on Huxs' neck stand up as the room seemed to drop in temperature. "I am displeased with this sudden disbelief in my conclusions. Perhaps my apprentice could do with an impromptu lesson in respect?" As he spoke, Hux could feel Ren growing more and more tense with each passing word and he instinctively understood that whatever was coming was not going to be pleasant.

Without allowing Ren to respond to his question, Snoke brought his arm up in an almost lazy gesture and his fingers clawed as he manipulated the force and targeted his student. Immediately, Hux heard Ren gasp in pain beside him, his hands flying up to grasp at his own head as they strained to stem the sudden agony which was clearly affecting it.

Hux was instantly filled with a cold dread as he realised what was happening. He was well aware of the pain and horrors which Snoke had put Ren through over the years as the younger man learned the ways of the dark side. He was suddenly reminded of what Ren had described to him one night when they were both wrapped up in each other in Rens' bed.

 _"What is it like?" Hux asked in mild curiosity as he tapped Ren on the temple with his index finger. "Having your mind invaded with the pure intention of causing pain? How does it actually work?" Not being force-sensitive, he had never had access to such a method of causing pain and he was yet to be subjected to it himself._

 _Ren chuckled loosely. "Would you like me to show you?"_

 _Rolling his eyes as he heard the offer, Hux tutted slightly. "Try it and we will see what happens to you. You won't be the first person I have murdered and made look like an unfortunate accident."_

 _"It's..." Ren began before pausing as he considered his answer, "it's indescribable really. The pain itself is created entirely in the mind and it feels like your head is being torn apart in every direction simultaneously. But while that is going on you can also feel it all over your body, like slicing knives and puncturing needles, on every inch of your flesh. It's like...burning and freezing at the same time."_

 _"Not pleasant then?" Hux offered casually, a little taken aback at the unexpected description._

 _"Decidedly not." Ren nodded in agreement. "Snoke is an...accomplished user of this technique and once you have experienced it enough, you will do almost anything to stop it from happening again."_

He was brought from the memory as Ren moaned in agony beside him as he dropped to his knees to the hard stone floor. Glancing at Snoke, Hux could see the passive expression on the Supreme Leaders face as he watched the suffering he was causing as he held Ren under his influence. Returning his gaze to Ren, he could clearly tell that the fallen man was trying as hard as possible to keep his mouth closed and prevent the scream that was obviously trying to break free and Hux knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in.

 _Like burning and freezing at the same time._

Generally speaking, Hux did not have a problem with torture, he himself had underwent training to both endure and inflict torture and he had excelled in both areas like he was expected to. Even when it came to Ren himself, Hux was fond of tormenting the insolent young fool who had somehow wormed his way into both his affections and his bed but this was different. Ren was being tortured with his own mind by an outside force and Hux was at a loss for what to do.

Finally breaking after a few seconds, Ren allowed the pain which was tearing him apart from the inside to present itself in a very loud and piercing scream which burst through the chamber and echoed back to the trio as the stood as still as possible. Huxs' breath hitched slightly at the screaming but it went unnoticed in the noise of the room. As his screams increased in volume, Rens' knees eventually gave out and he was left lying on the floor in utter agony.

Hux steeled his twitching fingers and expression as he resisted the urge to bend down and offer some comfort to the howling man, but he could still feel his stomach twist into knots as he stood helplessly. It was necessary for him to give the impression that he was unaffected. Any attempt to make Snoke stop would likely result in him being next in line for a session. Or worse.

If he wanted to put an end to the torture then he would have to be strategic about it.

"Supreme Leader Snoke." He interjected, pausing as he was momentarily impressed by how calm he had been able to make his voice sound as it carried confidently over Rens' agonised yells as they issued from his raw throat.

"Yes General Hux?" Snoke asked lazily, bringing his hand down as he allowed Ren a small respite in order to see what point Hux had to make. At the break, Rens' screams died almost instantly and were replaced by a heavy panting which was punctured by the occasional moan as he continued to try and take in laboured breaths.

Ensuring that his voice remained as unemotional as possible, Hux forced his features into a thoughtful expression as he spoke. "While I do not object to your methods, would it not be preferable for Ren to join me tomorrow when we return to raze the planet to the ground? Obviously my own forces would be more than capable but if there are more Resistance members present then Ren would be of value at both capturing and interrogating them." He paused as the loud gasps which Ren had been making ceased and Hux realised that he had fallen unconscious. "I will not be able to have him healed to an acceptable level to accompany me if this lesson continues much further." He spoke the truth, but Snoke did not need to know the intentions behind it.

"Hmm." Snoke brought one finger up to his chin as he considered Huxs' point. "I suppose you are correct General." Standing from his small podium, Snoke approached the pair and paused for a moment to throw the unconscious Ren a look of disdain. "See to it that he accompanies you tomorrow no matter his condition, I must leave immediately for other business or I would stay to oversee it myself."

"Yes Supreme Leader." Hux confirmed, keeping his eyes trained on the floor and away from the accomplished mind reader who was now exiting the room. He was pleased that Snoke would not be present on his base for much longer, his presence always led to an odd atmosphere which impacted on the natural flow of the work.

Waiting patiently until he was sure that Snoke was a comfortable distance away, Hux released the breath which he didn't realise he had been holding and the deep sigh echoed a little in the virtually silent room.

Finally able to attend to the other man, he bent down to assess what condition he was in. The first thing he noticed was that a small patch of blood had collected in the corner of Rens' mouth and he gently pried open his jaw to see what the damage was. In his agony he had apparently bitten his tongue enough to draw blood but Hux could see that the cut was superficial and probably would not require medical attention. The rest of his face and body was unaffected by any injury but he could see the tension which was being held in every line of his mildly-twisted expression.

Scooping Ren into his arms as gently as he could, Hux swiftly made his way to the exit of the room and started the quick journey to his own quarters. If Ren was uninjured then there was no real need for him to be sent to the medical bay and after what he had just witnessed, he felt a desire to keep a close eye on the unconscious man. More specifically, he felt the desire to protect him and it left him with confused thoughts. Feeling protective was new for Hux, when he felt protective it was usually over himself or his career, this was the first time the feeling had been afforded to an outside source.

The journey to his rooms was uneventful as the hallways were totally deserted, one of the few benefits of Snokes' presence, and as he slammed the door shut behind him he released another deep sigh. Ren was a dead weight in his arms and he was slightly relieved to be able to deposit his body on his bed, Rens' body instantly curling up into a fetal position as his erratic breathing filled the quiet room.

Kicking his boots off, Hux realised that it may be a good idea to lay in bed next to Ren in case he started to take a fit or similar negative reaction. He did not imagine that mind invasion was good for the body and he would be damned before letting Ren die in his attempted care. Grabbing a handful of reports which he still had to analyse for an upcoming meeting, he slid onto his own bed and settled in to get some of them completed while also keeping a vague eye on Ren.

Silence reigned in the room for a few minutes until a sharp sobbing noise pulled Hux from his task and he realised that Ren was having a mild panic attack in his sleep, obviously still suffering from the aftereffects of his ordeal. A little unsure of what do to, Hux took one of his hands off the report and pulled his leather glove off with his teeth before carding his free hand firmly through Rens' dark hair as he continued to twitch and sob.

The effect was immediate as he could see Ren visibly relax at his soft ministrations and he scratched gently at the unconscious mans scalp, marvelling as the tension in his body continued to obviously dissipate. Waiting patiently for Rens' panic to pass and his breathing to settle down, Hux picked up his report again and used his free arm to pull Ren closer beside him, meeting no resistance from the sleeping man as he shifted in as close as possible.

He might not possess the ability to stop Snoke from torturing Ren but at the very least he could offer some form of comfort to the distressed man.

Which for a monster like him, was a miracle in itself.


End file.
